About the Renee Bicycle Bookends (above right): “Crafted in iron to give you the greatest of support for your books. Perfect for your shelf or your office, this set of Renee Bicycle Book Ends is a creative and fun solution for your stack of books.”

About the Henry Dog Bookends (right): “Made with 100% Polyresin, these comically designed Bookends finished with a rich poppy orange shade are an extraordinary shelf accessory that will be a great addition to any decor. This product is also the ideal gift for any person who enjoys elegant and fun decor shape as a dog.”

It has been a warm couple of weeks out here on the prairie (just across the river from the great city of Kansas City, MO) – which means spring has had a jump start. All over the place you see little sprouts popping up and you get the feeling that after maybe one more cold snap everything will be in bloom once it warms up again.

Anyway, while out on my hike yesterday I spotted large patches of green poking up through the brown winter grass. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that all that green was a ton of little clovers – just in time for St. Patrick’s Day.

Nothing gives a child the best chance at a successful future than a good education. The Parent-Child Home Program helps families in need with the support necessary to ensure all kids have a chance to learn for life.

About The Parent-Child Home Program: “The Parent-Child Home Program’s (PCHP) nationwide network of program sites provides low-income families with the necessary skills and tools to ensure their children achieve their greatest potential in school and in life. The National Center assists underserved communities in replicating and expanding PCHP’s proven school readiness program that builds early parent-child verbal interaction and learning at home. Together we are strengthening families and communities, and preparing the workforce of the future.”

FF: Plymouth Original Gin

All Lost Cowboy fans know that I am a bourbon man, but I like to keep a well-stocked bar and I am always on the lookout for fine spirits to keep on hand for entertaining. I recently came across Plymouth Original Gin – made at the oldest working distillery in England – which makes it the perfect addition to my future bar cart.

About Plymouth Original Gin: “Plymouth Original Strength is a unique, protected style of gin originating from the city of Plymouth, South West England. Since 1793 it has been distilled from a unique blend of 7 botanicals, soft Dartmoor water and pure grain alcohol at the historic Black Friars Distillery – the oldest working distillery in England.”

About Fuzzy’s Taco Shop: “Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, started on Berry Street in Fort Worth, Texas, was bought in 2003 by father and son restaurateurs Alan and Chuck Bush. After revamping the original store and crafting the perfect combination of tacos, drinks and success, they set out to share it with everyone. Laced with feta and Fuzzy’s sauce, the baja style tacos quickly led to unstoppable addictions and cult-like fans. And as some of those fans moved away to Fuzzy’s-less towns, they began suffering serious withdrawals. They demanded more locations, and Fuzzy’s obliged. Spreading throughout 10 states with 78 stores and many more to come, Fuzzy’s is taking over stomachs and states alike.”

I have noticed a trend in books recently. It seems to me that the aging baby boomers are waxing nostalgic for the glory days of rock & roll. With the music industry in a very weird place these days (creatively and distribution-wise) it is easy to look back on an era gone by and see them for the good old days. There have been a slew of books from rock writers, photographers, biographers and artists themselves telling the stories of the Rock era for posterity and new generations.

In the book John Varvatos – Rock in Fashion by top fashion designer John Varvatos and leading rock writer Holly George-Warren, we see a different history of the rock era – one focused on style and fashion. Leading fashion designer John Varvatos, who is a favorite of many music artists old and new, has curated a collection of great photos and combined them with his unique observations to provide an interesting history of fashion in Rock music over the years.

About John Varvatos – Rock in Fashion by John Varvatos and Holly George-Warren: “In John Varvatos, the legendary designer reveals his perspective on how rock & roll music and style have influenced his own designs and fashion worldwide. Varvatos’s personally curated collection of more than 250 images are some of the most provocative ever shot by top rock photographers from the late 1960s to today, from the Rolling Stones to the Kings of Leon. The featured photographers are among the world’s finest, including Mick Rock, Bob Gruen, Elliott Landy, Danny Clinch, Lynn Goldsmith, and more. Also included are select images from Varvatos’s own advertising campaigns, featuring artists such as Slash, Iggy Pop, Scott Weiland, and Miles Kane. Varvatos’s captions and incisive commentary on the artist and his or her look accompany each image. Every chapter also contains numerous quotes from the musicians themselves, including Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Iggy Pop, Jack White, Pete Townshend, Robert Plant, Steven Tyler, and Patti Smith. An extraordinary anthology of some of the finest images in rock & roll and the most influential rock looks in fashion and popular culture, this volume will delight music lovers, and fans of music photography, fashion, and fashion history.”

I always like when creative people provide insight into their process and what inspires them. In addition to a review of fashion in the rock world, in Rock in Fashion we get to see what drives Mr. Varvatos and made him the top talent he is today.

OK, so here’s the deal, today’s find – The Saturday Market Project – is quite possible the best representation of the type of thing that make the perfect post for Lost Cowboy. The fine folks are all about design and creativity and bringing resources to those who appreciate such things.

About The Saturday Market Project: “The Saturday Market Project collaborates with creative businesses and individuals in the design of new markets, products and support services. We started SMP because we thought it should be easier to find high quality supplies, tools and raw materials at home. We’re rapidly growing and adding new make your own projects and supplies each month. To keep in touch, please join our bi-monthly Newsletter. The Saturday Market Project is based in New York and London.”

In addition to providing information and inspiration, The Saturday Market Project also curates a collection of fine products…

…items like the old school Speedy Stitcher (above right): The Speedy Stitcher is one of those tools that, once you try it, you wonder how you got along without it. It’s really that useful. The stitcher is strong enough to puncture canvas, leather, sails, hides, nylon, even bark while simultaneously sewing a tight lock stitch. And it’s easy to understand and use.”

…and the decidedly new school Chibitronics Starter Kit (right): “Circuit Stickers are peel-and-stick electronics for crafting circuits. You can use them to add electronics to any number of sticker-friendly surfaces such as paper, fabric and plastic. They allow you to build interactive projects that can light up and sense your movements without any complicated equipment or programming skills. Chibitronics starter kit is a collaboration between Jie Qi, a Grad Student at MIT media lab and Bunnie from Studio Kosagi. The starter kit contains everything you need to use Circuit Stickers.”

As a northeasterner living in the Midwest I have a totally new perspective on things. For example, I have a much larger appreciation of the history of the region, which although from an US perspective is newer than the Colonial era I am used to, has a lot to offer. Most notably is the history of the Native Americans who populated the plains and prairies long before Europeans arrived. The Indians left a legacy are great artwork reflecting an ancient culture.

About The Plains Indians Artists of Earth and Sky at the Metropolitan Museum of Art: “This exhibition will unite Plains Indian masterworks found in European and North American collections, from pre-contact to contemporary, ranging from a two-thousand-year-old human-effigy stone pipe to contemporary paintings, photographs, and a video-installation piece. Works of art collected centuries ago by French traders and travelers will be seen together with those acquired by Lewis and Clark on their famous expedition of 1804–06, along with objects from the early reservation period and recent works created in dialogue with traditional forms and ideas.”

“Chrysalis is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a pathway to self-sufficiency for homeless and low-income individuals by providing the resources and support needed to find and retain employment.”